Usually a refuse collection company have to collect the refuse from a number of refuse bins in a defined area. This is performed by a refuse collector driving around in the area, from refuse bin to refuse bin, in a refuse collection lorry. An important issue hi this procedure is to keep track of all collections so that all refuse bins are collected and no refuse bin is forgotten. A forgotten refuse bin can result in extra charges for the refuse collection company.
Today many refuse collection companies handles this by attaching an RFID tag to the refuse bin and by providing the refuse collection lorry with an RFID reader, and connecting the RFID reader to a computer system. When a refuse collector collects refuse from a refuse bin, he parks the refuse collection lorry in the neighbourhood of the refuse bin. Then he drives or carries the refuse bin into the proximity of the lorry and empties the refuses into the refuse container in the lorry. Thereafter he positions the refuse bin in close proximity of the RFID reader positioned at the lorry so that the RFID tag on the refuse bin can inform the RFID reader that the refuse bin has been emptied.
With reference to FIG. 1, an example of a system according to the state of the art is generally depicted. The system comprises a refuse collection lorry 3, and a refuse bin 19 (only showed schematically). The refuse bin is provided with an RFID tag 21 (RFID=Radio Frequency Identification Device) and the lorry is provided with an RHO interrogator 9 (also called “RFID reader”). An RFID tag is an electronic identification device that is made up of a chip and an antenna. The interrogator 9 sends an electromagnetic signal to the tag 21 which uses the energy from the signal to transmit the information stored in the RFID tag 21 to the interrogator 9. The interrogator 9 forwards the information to a computer system 6, which handles and stores the information.
This last step is quite burdensome and time consuming, especially if the refuse bin is empty already at the beginning and doesn't need to be emptied. In this situation the refuse collector has to drive or carry the refuse bin into close proximity of the lorry in order to register that he has been at the site and has checked the status of the refuse bin, even though he does not have to empty the refuse bin.